From Disney Channel to a nearly fatal drug overdose, the singer finally opens up about that fateful night, their battle with addiction and the road to recovery.

*Trigger Warning*: This review touches on sexual assault, drug and alcohol abuse and eating disorders.

Words: Devyn Molina

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A little over ten years ago, Demi Lovato was one of Disney’s darlings, smiling in front of the camera and scoring a place in the hearts of many adolescents as Mitchie Torres in their debut role in the film Camp Rock. They rose to fame almost immediately as another one of Disney Channel’s straight-laced teen stars, unable to dodge the media frenzy that ensued. It wasn’t until they publicly admitted they had made the decision to become sober at the age of nineteen that the world became aware of their demons.

Fast forward to July 2018 in Lovato’s home in Los Angeles where they were found by their assistant after suffering from an overdose with what they now believe was heroin laced with an extremely lethal opioid combination of OxyContin and fentanyl. In a matter of hours, the story made headlines all over the world as news outlets began broadcasting every horrifying detail of Lovato’s near death experience.

Up until now, the media, as well as their devoted fans have been relatively in the dark on the whole ordeal, trying to piece together what led the “Tell Me You Love Me” singer to their unfortunate relapse and whether or not they are sober to this day.

The four-part YouTube Original docuseries Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil, premiered in late March and features interviews from Lovato themself as well as their friends, family, doctors and anyone who was a part of their journey thus far.

The documentary directed by Michael D. Ratner, is broken down into four episodes each encapsulating a part of the timeline of Lovato’s lifelong battle with addiction, being a sexual assault survivor and recovery from an eating disorder that they have been struggling with throughout the majority of their career.

Both heartbreaking and eye-opening, no stone is left unturned as the Grammy-nominee gave viewers a deeper insight on the societal pressures of being a young person in the spotlight. Lovato spent most of their formative years having their appearance criticized and was often compared to their other Disney counterparts, in addition to the constant online scrutiny from haters. This drove them to self harm and bulimia that they are currently recovering from.

Looking straight into the camera, Lovato candidly speaks about their bouts with substance abuse and addiction. Along with being extremely transparent about their father’s tragic death due to his own addiction and listing off a number of hard drugs they’ve experimented with, they sheds a light on that addiction is first and foremost, a disease. This documentary does an exceptional job of telling Lovato’s story but more importantly just how debilitating addiction can be on both the person going through it and everyone around them. In one scene, Lovato’s close friend and former sober companion, Sirah, recalls a time where the singer had briefly left in the middle of a game night with friends to use narcotics in the bathroom upstairs. Through the tears, she admits that while she refused to give up on Lovato, she found herself unable to watch her best friend become a victim of drug addiction.

In a truly harrowing moment, Lovato, sitting next to the doctor that saved their life, reveals that they suffered three strokes, a heart attack, organ failure, brain damage from the stroke making them unfit to drive and was at one point legally blind when they woke up from an overdose, unable to see their sister, Madison De La Garza at her
bedside.

Towards the end of the docuseries, Lovato’s famous support system, Christina Aguilera, Will Ferrell and Elton John praise their beloved friend on their path to recovery and sobriety. What might leave audiences stunned is that Lovato admits to not being completely sober, explaining that they are trying a moderation method of allowing themself a bit of alcohol and weed from time to time. Interestingly enough, Elton John, who famously has had his own struggles with addiction and has been sober for over 30 years, flat out says that method won’t work.

The docuseries is a culmination of Lovato’s triumph of continuing to fight their battle with addiction but also as a survivor. Despite the unfortunate and traumatic experiences they’ve endured, they are able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. They are a testament that recovery and progress definitely aren’t linear and it’s about living your life in a way that makes you truly happy. Dancing With The Devil doesn’t beg for sympathy but rather provides much needed clarity on what was arguably one of the darkest moments of their life.

Although some would argue that a few topics needed further explanation, Lovato is now unapologetically living their life on their own terms after being under a microscope for so long. In the last moments of the documentary, their best friends are seen fully supporting the visibly happy Demi, finally shaving their head and opening up out being pansexual. A heartwarming moment to close out that chapter of their life, leaving fans excitedly waiting for what’s to come.